The Soul Children
The Soul Children | |
---|---|
Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | Soul, disco |
Years active | 1968–79, 2007–08 |
Labels | Stax, Epic |
Past members | Norman West, Jr. John Colbert (J. Blackfoot) Anita Louis Shelbra Bennett Ann Hines Cassandra Graham |
The Soul Children was an American
Career
The group was formed in 1968 by
The group's first record, "Give 'Em Love", produced by Hayes and Porter and released in late 1968, was a
The Soul Children left Stax as the company went under in 1975, and Bennett left for a solo career.[1] She changed her name to Shelbra Deane and under this recorded a few solo 45s for TK, Casino and Muscle Shoals Sound.[6] The trio of West, Colbert and Louis signed to Epic Records in 1976, releasing Finders Keepers, an album, and several moderately successful singles.[1] Where Is Your Woman Tonight (1977), their second album for Epic, reunited the group with producer David Porter. Porter then signed the group to a reactivated Stax label established by Fantasy Records, and co-produced Open Door Policy (1978), another album for the group. However, it was less successful than their earlier recordings, and the group decided to split in 1979.[3]
Later activities
After the group split, Anita Louis left the music business and later worked for FedEx, Time-Warner, and as a professional business trainer. Norman West continued working in night clubs and as a gospel singer and musician. J. Blackfoot became a successful solo singer; his biggest hit was "Taxi" in early 1984, which reached no. 4 on the R&B chart.[3] Shelbra Bennett recorded several singles as Shelbra Deane in the late 1970s and early 1980s; her biggest solo success was "Don't Touch Me" (no. 50 R&B) in 1977.
In 2007, West and Blackfoot decided to reform the Soul Children, adding two new singers: Ann Hines and Cassandra Graham. They recorded Still Standing, an album, for JEA Right Now Records.[3][5] West released a single in 2008 called "Long Ride Home."
J. Blackfoot died of pancreatic cancer on November 30, 2011, in Germantown, Tennessee. He was 65.[7]
Shelbra Bennett died on May 31, 2013, in Memphis, Tennessee. She was 66. The news was posted on the Stax Museum's website.[6]
Original members
- Shelbra Bennett (later known as Shelbra Deane; born Shelby Dene Bennett, Memphis, Tennessee, February 12, 1947 – May 31, 2013, Memphis, Tennessee)
- John Colbert (a.k.a. J. Blackfoot; born November 20, 1946, Greenville, Mississippi – November 30, 2011)
- Anita Louis (born November 24, 1949, Memphis, Tennessee)
- Norman Richard West, Jr. (born October 30, 1939, Monroe, Louisiana)[8]
Discography
Albums
Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Label | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [9] |
US R&B [9] | ||||||
1968 | Soul Children | 154 | 9 | Stax 2018 | |||
1971 | Best of Two Worlds | — | 20 | Stax 2043 | |||
1972 | Genesis | 159 | 36 | Stax 3003 | |||
1974 | Friction | — | 38 | Stax 5507 | |||
1976 | Finders Keepers | — | 54 | Epic | |||
1977 | Where Is Your Woman Tonight? | — | — | ||||
1978 | Open Door Policy | — | — | Stax | |||
1979 | Chronicle | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Singles
Year | Label | A-side | B-side | Chart Positions | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Pop [10] |
US R&B [4] | ||||
1968 | Stax 0008 | "Give 'Em Love" | "Move Over" | — | 40 |
1969 | Stax 0018 | "I'll Understand" | "Doing Our Thang" | — | 29 |
Stax 0030 | "Tighten Up My Thang" | "Take up the Slack" | — | 49 | |
Stax 0050 | "The Sweeter He Is - Part I" | "The Sweeter He Is - Part II" | 52 | 7 | |
1970 | Stax 0062 | " Hold On, I'm Coming "
|
"Make It Good" | — | 48 |
Stax 0075 | "Put Your World in My World" | "Finish Me Off" | — | — | |
1971 | Stax 0086 | "Let's Make a Sweet Thing Sweeter" | "Finish Me Off" | — | — |
Stax 0102 | "Gonna Get Away from It All" | "Ridin' on Love Merry-Go-Round" | — | — | |
1972 | Stax 0119 | "Hearsay" | "Don't Take My Sunshine" | 44 | 5 |
Stax 0132 | "Don't Take My Kindness for Weakness" | "Just the One I've Been Looking for" | 102 | 14 | |
1973 | Stax 0152 | "It Ain't Always What You Do (It's Who You Let See You Do It)" |
"All That Shines Ain't Gold" | 105 | 11 |
Stax 0170 | "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" | "Poem on the School House Door" | — | 59 | |
Stax 0182 | "I'll Be the Other Woman" | "Come Back Kind of Love" | 36 | 3 | |
1974 | Stax 0218 | "Love Makes It Right" | "Love Makes It Right Pt. II" | — | 47 |
Stax 0230 | "What's Happening Baby Pt. I" | "What's Happening Baby Pt. II" | — | — | |
1976 | Epic 50178 | "Finders Keepers" | "Midnight Sunshine" | — | 49 |
Epic 50236 | "If You Move I'll Fall" | "Little Understanding" | — | 99 | |
1977 | Epic 50345 | "Where Is Your Woman Tonight?" | "Merry-Go-Round" | — | 96 |
Epic 50405 | "You Don't Need a Ring" | "There Always" | — | — | |
1978 | Stax 3206 | "Can't Give Up a Good Thing" | "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" | — | 19 |
Stax 3211 | "Summer in the Shade" | "Hard Living with a Man" | — | — | |
Stax 3214 | "Who You Used to Be" | "Believing" | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-733-9.
- ^ "The Soul Children Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "The Soul Children - Story and Interview". Soulexpress.net.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 411.
- ^ a b Lowe, John. "Artist Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ a b "R.I.P. Shelbra Bennett of The Soul Children". Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ Williams, Richard (December 6, 2011). "J Blackfoot obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ^ "Soul Children Page". Soulwalking.co.uk.
- ^ a b "The Soul Children - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 15, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ "The Soul Children discography". Soulexpress.net.
External links
- The Soul Children via Stax Records